Fender for automobiles.



J. W. DE LAPPE.

FENDER FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 22, 1913.

1, 1 00,229. Patented June 16, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

awuwtoq,

Witnesses J. W. DE LAPPB. PENDBRFORAUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 22, 1913. 1 1O0 229 Patented June 16, 1914.

2 vSHEETS-SHEET 2.

I v awumtoa w y. 8. .WDC'

JOHN W. DE LAPPE, OF DOROHESTER, MASSACHUSETTS;

FENDER FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 16, 1914:.

Application filed August 22, 1913. Serial No. 786,052.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN WV. DE LAPIE,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Dorchester, in the county ofSuffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Fenders for Automobiles; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

The present invention is directed to improvements in fenders forautomobiles, and has for its object to so construct a device of thischaracter that the driver may control the operation of the same withoutleaving the seat.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fender for automobileswhich may be instantly thrown into operative position when collisionwith a pedestrian is apparent.

With these and other objects in view, this invention resides in thenovel features of construction, formation, combination and arrangementof parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustratedin the accompanying drawing, in which 2- Figure 1 is a top plan view ofthe device showing the fender in its lowered position. Fig. 2 is asectional view on line 22 of Fig. 1, the full lines showing the fenderin its raised posit-ion, and the dotted lines showing the fender in itslowered position. Fig. 3 is a front view showing the fender lowered.Fig. 1 is a sectional view on line &4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detailfront elevation of the means for raising and lowering the fender. Fig. 6is a detail view partly in section of the foot lever. Fig. 7 is asectional view on line 77 of Fig. 3. Fig. '8 is a similar view on line88 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the front axle of anautomobile and 2 the floor thereof, both of which are of the usualconstruction. Secured in spaced relation upon the axle 1 are clamps 3,said clamps having supported thereby brackets 4, said brackets beingprovided with bearings 5 in which are journaled the opposite ends of theshaft 6, said shaft having keyed thereto sprocket wheels 7, and anintermediate sprocket wheel 8, the purpose of which will appear later.

Pivotally supported by the clamps 3 are arms 9, said arms having theirforward ends provided with stems 10 which adjustably engage thehorizontal bars 11 of the sleeves l2. Adjustably engaging the sleeves 12are stems 13, the lower ends of which terminate in forwardly curved arms14, the forward ends of which are formed with furcations 15 in which isjournaled the shaft 16, the outer ends of said shaft being fixed to thetongues 17 carried by the bars 18 of the fender 19, said tongues beingengaged between the furcations 15. The extreme outer ends of the shaft16 are journaled in the furcations 20 formed upon the rear bar 21 of thefender l9. Engaged between the furcations 20 are the tongues 21 formedupon the inner ends of the side bars 22 of the fender, said bars havingtheir outer ends, and likewise the bars 18, secured to the front bar 23of the fender. The fender 19 is provided with cylinders 24:, which aresupported by the front bar 23 and intermediate brace bar 25. Slidablymounted in the cylinders 24: are spring pressed shafts 26, the outerends of which are formed with heads 27 which support the rubber buffer28 which extends transversely of the fender 19.

Fixed to the shaft 16 are sprocket wheels 29, and trained around saidsprocket wheels and the sprocket wheels 7 are sprocket chains 30, thepurpose of which will appear later.

Secured to the floor 1 is a hanger 31 hav ing formed integral therewitha segment 32,

end of the segment 32. A sprocket chain 38 is trained around thesprocket wheel 36 and intermediate sprocket wheel 8, carried by theshaft 6. The upper end of the foot lever 35 is provided with a stirrup39, the tread of which is provided with perforations 40 in which isengaged a link 4-1, the lower end of which is pivotally connected to thepawl 34 which is normally held in engagement with the notch 33 by thecompression spring 12 which connects the pawl and foo-t lever. A bowspring 43 is carried by the stirrup 39 and has connected thereto theupper end of the link ll, said link being operable to actuate the pawl34 to disengage the notch 33 when the drivers foot is placed in thestirrup and the bow spring 43 flexed.

Formed integral with the shaft 6 and adjacent the opposite ends thereofare arms 44, thelower ends of which carry anti-friction wheels 45 whichengage the rear ends of the arms 9. The arms 44 are normally disposed inacute angular relation with the arms 9 andare connected to the brackets4 l ed by the clamps, a fender supported by the arms, a shaft carried bythe fender, sprocket wheels fixed to the shaft, sprocket chainsconnecting the first and second named sprocket wheels, a foot levercarried by the automobile, a sprocket wheel fixed to the foot lever, asprocket chain connecting the last named sprocket wheel and one of thefirst named sprocket wheels, and arms carried by the first named shaftfor yieldably the' stirrup 39 which action disengages the pawl 34 fromthe notch 33, whereupon for- Ward movement of the lever 35 will causethe sprocket 36 to rotate, thus operating the sprocket chain 38 whichthrough the medium of the" sprocket wheel 8 rotates the shaft 6, and asthe sprocket wheels 7 are fixed} thereto movement is transmitted to thechains 30 which in turn rotates the shaft 16 through the medium ofthesprocket wheels 29. I he rotation of the shaft 16 in one direction-willoperate the fender 19 so that the s'amewill assume the position shown indotted lines-in Fig, 2, Should an object fall upon the fender when inthis position, the same will assume a position as shown in Fig. 7'during which time the arms 9 will rock upon their pivots, thus shiftingthe arms 44 rearwardly. After the weight of the object is removed fromthe fender the springs 46 will turn the fender to the position shown indotted lines in Fig. 2; It is obvious that when it is desired to resetthe fender, or return the same to the position shown'in Fig: 2, it isonly necessary to shift the foot lever 85 from the dotted to the fullline position shown in the same figure.

What is claimed is 1; In combination with the front axle of anautomobile, of a shaft supported thereby, sprocket Wheels fixed to theshaft, clamps carried by the axle, arms pivotally supportengaging thefirst named arms whereby, when said lever 15 shifted, the shafts arerotated to operate the fender, said second named arms serving to returnthe fender to a horizontal position.

2. In combination with the front axle of an automobile, of armspivotally supported thereby, a fender supported by the arms, a shaftcarried by the fender, sprocket wheels fixed to the shaft, a shaftsupported by the axle, sprocket wheels fixed to the last named shaft,sprocket chains trained around the sprocket wheels of both shafts, asegment carriedby the automobile, a foot lever con nected to thesegment, a sprocket wheel connected to the lever and connected to one ofthe sprocket wheels carried by the axle-supported shaft, a stirrupcarried by the upper end of the foot lever, a spring pressed pawlcarried by the footlever for engaging the segment to hold the fender inits raised or vertical position, means carried by the stirrup fordisengaging the pawl from the segment whereby the foot lever may beswung forwardly, thereby rotating the first and second named shafts toswing the fender to its raised 'or vertical position, and means engagingsaid arms for holding the same nor- 'mally horizontal.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signa ture, in the presence of twowitnesses.

JOH1\ IV. DE LAPPE. Witnesses:

GEORGE A. HoLsT, JOHN J. DUNKERLEY.

Copies: of this patent may be obtained for five eentsgeach, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C

